Toronto’s mayor says he is sorry for past bad behaviour – owning up to being
drunk in public on two occasions – but stopped short of addressing his ties to
an alleged drug dealer or explaining what he was doing in an infamous video he
acknowledged for the first time exists.

Rob Ford defied calls for his resignation Sunday, vowing to stay in office,
and used the weekly radio show he hosts with his brother to make an at times
emotional plea for forgiveness, saying he takes “full responsibility” for his
actions.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is pictured at his weekly radio show on Newstalk 1010. The station says the Ford brothers talk show will go on as planned, despite recent revelations made about the mayor.
for The Globe and Mail

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“Friends, I am the first one to admit I am not perfect,” Mr. Ford said. “I
made mistakes, and all I can do right now is apologize.”

He made clear he intends to remain in office. “I love the work I do and I’m
going to keep doing it. I want to keep working for the people of this city. And
there is still a lot of work to be done,” he said.

The mayor’s statement comes amid calls from political friends and foes for
him to step aside. On Friday, the Toronto Region Board of Trade added its voice,
asking the mayor to take a leave for the good of the city. Mr. Ford’s insistence
on staying sets the stage for more turmoil as additional details about a police
drug probe that mentions his name hundreds of times could become public, and
politicians jockey for advantage in the lead-up to next year’s municipal
election.

“These personal issues will continue to overshadow the business of the city
and it looks like there is no end in sight,” predicted Councillor Jaye Robinson,
who was fired from Mr. Ford’s executive committee earlier this year after saying
he needed to take a personal leave. “It is going to continue to ramp up. It is
going to continue to escalate because it is not going away.”

Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly, who met with Mr. Ford Saturday to spell
out the “serious concerns” of his council allies, described Mr. Ford’s remarks
as “a good start.”

“I’m hoping that at City Hall it will be business as usual and in
his personal life it will be a dramatic change for the better,” he
said.

For the first time, Mr. Ford acknowledged there is a video, the existence of
which was confirmed by Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair last week. He asked the
chief to release the video so that all can see it and judge for themselves.
During a question from a caller, the mayor was asked what he was consuming that
night. “I can’t comment on a video I haven’t seen,” was the mayor’s
response.

Mr. Ford also did not address his relationship with alleged drug dealer
Alessandro Lisi, a man whom Mr. Ford has described as a friend. Mr. Lisi was
charged last week with extortion related to his efforts to retrieve the video,
according to a source familiar with the investigation.

The mayor, however, did discuss two incidents where he was drunk in public.
He said his behaviour at the popular Taste of the Danforth street festival this
summer was “pure stupidity.”

“I shouldn’t have got hammered down at the Danforth,” he said. “If you are
going to have a couple drinks, you stay at home. You don’t make a public
spectacle of yourself.”

Mr. Ford also made reference to his behaviour on St. Patrick’s Day of last
year. Mr. Ford returned to City Hall in the wee hours of the morning, where
security observed he had trouble walking, was swearing at staff and had a
half-empty bottle of brandy, according to a report.

“It got a little out of control,” Mr. Ford said of that night. “I can’t
change the past. I can assure people, hopefully it won’t happen again. I can
make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

The mayor said he will “slow down,” on his drinking. His brother Councillor
Doug Ford chimed in to suggest it would be best if the mayor only drank in his
basement. Mr. Ford also promised to hire a driver and try to lose
weight.

During a later interview with another Toronto radio station, Mr. Ford was
asked specifically about the drug allegations. “I’m not a crack addict,” he
responded. “I’m not an addict of any type of drug, even alcohol. But do I like
to have a couple of drinks? Absolutely I do. I just have to curb it.”

One of the most poignant moments in the mayor’s program came when an
81-year-old woman who described herself as a “great supporter” of Mr. Ford’s
asked him to take a medical leave for himself and his family. “The city will
survive,” she said. “And I want Doug to quit being your enabler, telling you to
go down to the cellar for your pops. That isn’t helpful for you in the situation
you are in now.”

Mr. Ford thanked the caller, and then turned to his brother, saying, “you do
not enable me.”

During his mea culpa, Mr. Ford pleaded with reporters not to come
to his house, saying that they frightened his children. Instead, he promised he
would make himself available “anywhere” to answer questions. That change of tone
did not last long. After the show, security for the radio station’s building
tried three times to clear the underground parking lot of reporters before the
mayor would emerge. When he did, he and a small entourage barrelled through the
assembled crowd to his SUV. He answered none of the questions that were thrown
at him – including whether he has ever smoked crack or was an addict – and
forced a few reporters to jump back for safety as he swung his vehicle towards
the ramp leading to the street.

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